That One Night
by TheMusicInside
Summary: This is just a random thought I had last night and I just couldn't let it ,on their sixth year,Draco finds a devastated Hermione on the Astronomy Tower.Rated M for one or two swear words.One-Shot.


**Hello again!So,this is the second story I'm writting.**

**English isn't my native language so you might find some grammar and vocabulary errors,but please don't mind them.**

**All characters and the story,except for this small part, belong to J.K. Rowling.**

Sitting on an opening of the stone wall with perfect view of the dim-lighted corridor, I could not help but admire the beautiful girl in front of me. She looked flawless, almost _ethereal_, in that dress. The pale-pink gown hugged her figure and the long, transparent sleeves, that were adorned with white laced flowers, were showing of her perfectly shaped arms. A small, silver chain that hang around her waist flattered her curves and the floor-length dress lengthen her legs. Her hair was gathered in an impressive, ancient-Greek styled pigtail that left her bare back exposed. I couldn't find a word that could describe her best; perfect wasn't enough. She was like a dream… Divine! Yes, divine was a more suitable word!

She seemed upset, constantly looking behind her back, at Slughorn's party, while running. She stopped for a little and left a small moan as she removed her white slippers and charmed them to become flat shoes. I took my chance to admire her again. Taking a deep breath, she continued running and shortly after, she was out of sight. She probably didn't notice my presence, as I was fully clothed in black and hiding into the shadows.

I sighed quietly and headed to the dungeons, hands in my pockets. Ever since I heard her defend my ass to Potty and the Weasel-King inside the bathrooms of the 6th floor, something changed inside me. She might be wrong declaring that I am not being a bloody Death Eater, but she was right about one thing; I _didn't_ fucking choose this! Had my Father retreated the Prophesy as he was ordered to do, he would be free, out of that prison and I would not have to receive the Dark Mark! I couldn't help but blame Potty a little; because of him sticking his nose everywhere, my Father was in Azkaban, the Dark Lord was practically _living_ in the Malfoy Manor, the Manor was a hideout of the Death Eaters and my dearest Mother was their servant, unable to counteract. Yeah, my life was as good as Hell…

Mother used to say that the only positive thing about the Death Eaters and Lord Voldermort himself living under our roof was that the Dark Lord would help Father escape. I knew that it would happen eventually, but almost a year had passed and Father was nowhere to be seen. _Maybe the Dark lord wants to punish him. To show him that he's worthless._ That's what I thought during summer. But after I received the Mark, I knew that his real punishment was seeing his only-son take his place among the ranks of the Death Eaters and risk his life in case he failed to carry out his mission successfully.

Aunt Bellatrix said that me becoming one of the 'bad guys' was an honor, not some sort of vengeance. Mother and I both failed to see where that 'honor' was. She even begged Prof. Snape to try and change the Dark Lord's mind. Instead, he swore to protect me and continue my mission if I could no longer make it.

Filling a glass with Firewhiskey, I sat by the fireplace, listening to the crackling fire. I was overwhelmed by feelings I felt for the first time; compassion towards others, anxiety regarding my mission, fear coming from the possibility of failure… But I had to conceal them, Aunt Bellatrix said they would make me weak… The picture of Granger in that dress filled my mind again, blurring my thoughts.

"Bullshit!" I thought, dropping the glass with the orange liquid. Actually, I had yelled. Furious as I was, I left the Common Room, with no particular destination. As always, my steps led me to the Astronomy Tower. I'd come here whenever I was angry or confused since the 3rd year. I'd always cry, pull myself together and put the mask of the cold, uncaring, selfish bastard everyone thought I was. Maybe I really was that person; I couldn't be sure.

I slowly crossed the stairs to the top. I was stopped abruptly by a dark, blurry form standing by the fence. I began walking again, only this time quietly, in an attempt to see the intruder. The more I got closer, the more I could see the details; light-brown hair, light-pink dress_…Wait! Is that… Granger? _Who else could it be_? Merlin, what am I going to do? What am I going to say? Am I supposed to insult her blood or be nice to her? Do I hate her? _She looked dashing even from her back.

Without even realizing it, my legs brought me right behind her; I could hear her breathing."Granger? What are you doing here?"I whispered, approaching her slowly.

She gave a surprise moan while turning on her heel to me."M-Malfoy? What are _you_ doing here?"She asked breathlessly, whipping the remaining tears from her face.

"I asked you first and you didn't answer."I insisted.

"Fine!"She declared, crossing her arms."I come here when I want to be left alone, to think."She closed her eyes."There! Now it's your turn."

"Whenever I am furious or tired of this world, I can always find peace here."I answered, my eyes never leaving hers. She blushed."I guess I'm not the only one who knows the place."

"Your guess is correct. Now move. I'd like to leave."She ordered like some spoiled, little girl, moving to the right. I copied her. "I said **move**!"She yelled, trying the other way. I moved again, grabbing her wrists."What the H-!"

"Why were you crying?"I asked as gently as I could.

"That's _none_ of your business! Let me go!"She yelled, pushing my chest. I didn't move an inch. She began crying again.

"Sssh… Its alright…"I whispered to her ear, pulling some hair back. I led her to the wall and pinned her against it. She yelped in pain and surprise."Now, sit down."Her eyes were wide open and she opened her mouth to disagree, but my voice calmed her and she did as I told her. I rest next to her, my hands never leaving her wrists. She looked so small, so fragile that she reminded me nothing of her proud, Gryffindork self."Who did this?"

"None. It's may things. Harry likes Ron's sister, Ron's snagging Lavender and Ginny has Dean. For the first time I feel so… lonely… And I kind of like Ron, so…"

"I see. It must be awful for you to see them… I mean, nobody is desperate enough to snag Brown…"

"Don't talk about her like that… It's so… you…"She whimpered and lowered her head. My hand caressed her cheek and rested on her chin to lift it. I shivered at the feeling of my skin against hers. Boiling tears slide down her cheekbones, burning my fingers.

"No… Don't be like that… They don't deserve it…"I said in consolidation. She looked at me and a small drop of rain fell on her lips. My eyes followed it on its way to her chin and then I figured how close to her I was; I could smell her breath. And it was like honey and vanilla… I placed a finger on her trembling lower lip. She moved a little to my direction. My heart was beating fast and it skipped a beat when she breathed against my finger.

I don't know if it was the alcohol in my system or the rain that ordered my body to lean and crash my lips on hers. And I certainly don't know if her vulnerable situation made her respond to my kiss. Before I knew it, her fingers were tangled in my hair, messing playfully with them, and my hands pulled the base of her waist to get her closer to me. The kiss heated up and the moment we stopped to take a breath, lust came over me and I kissed her harder. This time, it lasted longer. At the end we were sitting there, our foreheads touching and sending our breaths to each other. We pulled back slowly, while my mind was trying to register what had just happened. We just stared at each other for a little.

"This…"I began saying, my voice trembling.

"Yeah, it… was...This is too… much right now… I should… go…"She said and rose to her feet."We'll… talk…"Was all she said and then left.

I touched my swollen, still wet lips. That was… indescribably… great! _Time to sleep…Or think…_ I thought, standing up. Putting my hands in my pockets, I walked towards the entrance. _We'll talk_ _Granger…_ _We'll talk soon…_

I threw my tired body on the bed, my eyelids closed and a faint smile on my mouth. She tasted… divine…! I could have never guess she would be such a skillful kisser! I stood and leaned on the wall next to the window that had perfect view of some part of the Gryffindork House. The lights were on and a blurry form was near the glass, staring at the endless night. The rain had just begun and there were a few raindrops staining the glass. I narrowed my eyes, trying to identify the form. It took me a while to find that it was a sleepless Granger.

I wanted her to know I was there, so I picked my wand and casted _Luminous_. She saw the light and looked down on my direction. I waved at her and sat on a couch beneath the window. I picked some paper and a quill and began writing.

**_Dear H._**

**_I could never imagine this would ever happen. But, despite what we decide to do in the future, I would like to thank you… for supporting me to your so-called friends. I know it's not the right time to do this but, if I ever get the chance, I'd like to thank you personally… Wait, is it just me or did the last part sound a little vulgar? Never mind, I really hope I can talk to you…_**

**_Goodnight,_**

**_D._**

I casted Animato on the paper, transforming it into a bird, opened the window slightly and set it free. Then I waited her to get the letter. When she did, she looked back at me, closed the curtains and left.

I moaned in exasperation. Changing into my pajamas, I decided to leave any thoughts for tomorrow…I quickly fell asleep…

The next morning, I found the following note on the end table next to my bed. It said;

_Dear D._

_Defending you against my friends is not what I would normally do… It's just that I believe what I say to them… I know you are not evil, just misguided…Anyway, I agree. That last part actually sounded… dirty… But, never mind. We need to talk. How about …_

This went on for about a week. We could not agree on either the place or the time of the meeting. When on a rainy Sunday morning, I couldn't take it anymore. I sat on a dark green armchair with a quill and a piece of parchment. Millions of thoughts were swirling in my mind, thoughts that they had to come out somehow. _Writing might not be the best way but you never know…_So, I wrote those 8 words, tied the parchment on my owl's leg and set it free. _It's kind of weird…putting my hopes on a bird…_

**_Dear H._**

**_Meet me in front of the Owlery.20:00 sharp._**

**_D._**

Time passed excruciatingly slowly till the evening. I had to put up with Crabbe and Goyle's complains about not telling them the Dark Lord's plan. Because of my restlessness, I arrived at the Owlery nearly half an hour earlier. I sat on a boulder and waited…waited…The Big Clock announced it was sign of her.

Suddenly, not long later, I heard light footsteps coming towards me. I lifted my head. Someone behind me held their breath. I waited. No one seemed to be willing to take the initiative to begin.

"Listen, I…"We said at the same time. I turned and saw Granger leaning on a tree for support. She blushed under her light blue scarf. She had left her hair fall on her shoulders like a waterfall of chocolate curls, which made her look even younger. I took a step forward, she didn't move.

Another step.

Another step.

Another step.

And I was right in front of her, I could almost smell her perfume. She left the comfort of the tree, apparently in an attempt to look at me as an equal.

A minute passed, but none of us moved. _Stupid Gryffindork pride ._It began drizzling.

"So…"She whispered, lowering her head. I placed a hand under her chin and lifted it. Brown met grey .And everything around us stopped. She parted her lips to say something, but the words didn't come out. The drizzling became rain. A drop fell on her nose, another on her cheek. It slid down and hid beneath the scarf. A light breeze went through her hair and the intoxicating scent of honey and vanilla was spread and stroke me right on the face.

"I-uh…"I was numb. I was numb in front of her, forgetting all about settling things. The rain got more violent and the wind seemed to follow her lead.

"This…shouldn't…"

"But it did…"I cut her."And…"

"I don't…"A drop fell on her lips and she stopped. She turned to leave, or actually run.

_She…She left…And I didn't even…She left! No! She can't, not now!She won't! _My hurt ego said. I followed the tracks her boots had left on the wet soil. I could see her, though she was away. I suppressed the urge to scream her name. Instead, I speed up.

She looked behind her back and saw me approaching her. She began walking faster, practically running.

_No! We need to…_I couldn't let her leave. Then it hit me. I went through a relatively unknown path that lead to the castle faster._ I can get ahead of her…_I saw her as she turned her head again, but when she didn't see me, she continued faster. She was all wet, her curls now falling wildly on her face and forehead._ She looks so fierce…A real fighter…Against me and against the elements…_

A few minutes later, the path I had chosen met the original one._ I have to make my move and quick…I only get one chance on this…_I picked up my pace. And just when she thought I had missed her…

…I grabbed her arm and pinned her on an oak tree. Almost immediately, like a reflex, she tried to escape and I stopped her by placing my free palm on the tree next to her neck. She looked at me, petrified.

_Those lips…So inviting…Tempting…Her eyes…I feel like they can see me…The_ real _me…I…Can't…_I leaned down to claim her lips as mine. At the same time, a lightning stroke. It was the perfect background for such kiss; two completely different people, with completer different origin and beliefs had collided…Two different worlds had become one…

She didn't do anything at first, startled by my bold, determined move. And then, she just…relaxed…She placed her slim, long fingers on the hollow of my neck. My tongue brushed her lips once…twice…On the third time, she let me in. In the battle for dominance, I marginally won.

I let my fingers tangle between her hair. We stopped for a bit, both of us completely out of breath, but our lips only inches apart. A fade smile played on the edges of her lips and it got wider as I stroked her cheek.

"So…"I said and took a deep breath."What do…you think? One…chance?"

She nodded timidly and blushed again. In just one moment, I forgot about everything; My Father, the Dark Lord, my Mark, my Prejustices against anything not pure…All my attention was now focused on that girl in front of me and this precious moment. For the first time since this summer, I smiled…wholeheartedly. The rain had almost stopped and nature seemed to revive. The moment was perfect.

"Hermione!"Weasel King's sister shouted."Hermione! Where are you! Come here right now! You'll get a nasty cold if you don't dry yourself!"She continued as she came closer."Malfoy let her go! You can song some other time!"_She…She knows?_ I looked at Hermione puzzled.

"She knows?"I asked. The girl nodded again."And she's okay with it?"

"Ewww, you guys! Get a bedroom!"Ginny complained.

"Uh, hey Gin."Hermione whispered awkwardly, slightly pushing me away.

"Hey."I said flatly.

"Are you both crazy? Look at you!"The ginger-haired witch shrieked."I get it, you like passionate kisses in the rain! Everyone does! But…Ugh! Hermione, come with me. We will go to the Tower to help you dry up."

Granger turned to leave. But before she did, I swirled her on the spot and kissed her again. She blushed and gave me the sweetest smile. Ginny grabbed her free hand, as I slowly left the other. A minute later, the two witches were gone.

I touched my swollen lips._ That was…Sweet Merlin…_I walked to the Dungeons. I threw my body on the bed and just stared at the ceiling. It seemed quite far tonight, considering that most nights I felt like it would fall on my head. I closed my eyes and recalled the pleasure of the kiss. This kiss was…special. I couldn't explain why, but it just felt so…right…For the first time I felt hope…Soon, I was asleep.

During the following months people died, the War ended, the Dark Lord was defeated. Many Death Eaters were killed or sent to jail. My Father was among them. However, Mother and I were spared because she didn't have the Dark Mark and I had taken it involuntarily. During the summer, we agreed that I should finish school. A letter from the Headmistress that announced I was chosen as Head Boy, only strengthen my decision. So, on the first day of September, I was back on King's Cross Train Station. I knew this year would be a challenge due to my Mark and my Father. But I was willing to give it a shot.

I sat on the seats of the Slytherin's usual hangout carriage. Soon, I was joined by the people I considered the closest thing to friends: Blaise Zabini,Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson.

"So, guys, what do you think? I mean, thinks are different, the Slytherins no longer rule."Blaise said.

"I don't know about you, but I am Head Boy."I said, showing them my badge."And I to this fair and squarely was the best student after Granger, after all."

"I bet all my gold that she is Head Girl. The brightest witch of our year...That Mu-"

"That's enough Parkinson. I don't want to hear this term again."I cut her. She nodded."Anyway, I have to go to the Head's Carriage. I won't be late."I said and left.

_Who knows? Maybe Granger IS this year's Head Girl…_I thought and smiled. I reached the Head's carriage and took a deep breath. I slowly opened the door a little and glimpsed inside. A girl was in front of the window, looking outside. She had a slim figure and her wavy, dark blond hair was caught in a side ponytail._ Granger…_

I opened the door completely and leaned on the wall. She didn't seem to hear me. So, I went closer. Taking quiet steps, I was soon right behind her. She took a sharp breath as she sensed my presence.

"Long time no see, right Granger?"I whispered in her ear, on the most seductive tone of my voice. She sighed._Oh,yeah...She still remembers...Well then,let's see what this year has to offer..._I thought and smirked.


End file.
